BMW M5 CS

The current BMW M5 generation debuted in 2018 and pushed the limits of performance with an excess of power and physics-defying handling. A year later, BMW upped the ante with a more powerful M5 Competition model. For 2022, this four-door rocket goes all-in with the M5 CS.

BMW claims the 2022 M5 CS will be the quickest and most powerful BMW production vehicle ever. Compared to the M5 Competition, it gains a modest 10 horsepower. More significant is the weight loss of 230 pounds. The weight savings are courtesy of more carbon-fiber body parts and a reduction in sound insulation. There's also one fewer seat, reducing passenger capacity to four. The new rear seats are individual racing buckets with side bolsters that are almost as deep as the front seats.

When the M5 CS heads into production in March, it should be fairly distinctive from a regular M5. Instead of the typical chrome or brushed metallic exterior trim, the CS will sport a gold bronze (like rose gold, but with less pink) grille surround and accents. The hood will also feature more aggressive bulges and vents. Three colors are available: Brands Hatch gray, Frozen Brands Hatch gray metallic and Frozen Deep Green metallic.

If all of this sounds enticing, you better act quickly. BMW will only offer the M5 CS for the 2022 model year. The company has offered CS versions of other M division models before, but this is the first time it has applied it to the M5.

The 2022 BMW M5 CS takes the existing M5 engine, a 4.4-liter turbocharged V8, and squeezes out 627 horsepower and 553 lb-ft of torque. That's 10 hp more than the M5 Competition, and even though peak torque is the same, the delivery will be more immediate. BMW says it will reach 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, which is 0.2 second quicker than the M5 Competition. Top speed is limited to 190 mph.

The CS will come standard with carbon-ceramic brake rotors, and performance Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires are a no-cost option. The suspension remains the same, though it has been retuned to match the lighter brakes and tires.

The BMW M5 is already one of the most entertaining high-performance sedans ever made. Is the CS worth the $140,000-plus price tag compared to the regular M5 Competition that costs about $30,000 less? No. Do we want one? Of course, but we're not yet sold on the gold bronze accents. We'll have to decide when we see it in person, and we eagerly await that day.